Aden And Aden Protectorate

This is the first detailed account of the confrontation between Britain and President Nasser of Egypt over the Colony of Aden and the surrounding protected states, prior to British withdrawal in 1967. Paying particular attention to the conflicting goals of Arab nationalism and British imperialism, it is argued that Britain’s motivation for this campaign was not solely material but was partly derived from a determination to contain Nasser’s influence and to guarantee a continuation of Britain’s role in influencing the politics of the Arabian peninsula. Mawby argues that a significant problem for the British was the decision to undertake a new imperial adventure in Aden at a time when British economic and military power was on the wane, whilst support for the nationalist struggles in the Middle East and the United Nations was increasing. He goes on to suggest that British policy and the conduct of military campaigns facilitated the emergence of a radical brand of Arab politics in southwest Arabia. By demonstrating the manner in which the rise and fall of British imperialism was telescoped into a short period in the late 1950s and early 1960s, this volume provides an important insight into the unique and unacknowledged place of Aden in the history of British decolonization.

The Gaysh tells the story of the emergence of an army following early attempts to protect the trade routes in and through Aden. From the first commercial treaty with the Abdali Sultan in 1802, various efforts were made to avoid looting, leading to the annexing of Aden Port by the East India Company in 1839. It was not until the Turks threatened to invade in the First World War that a regular army unit was formed. The 1st Yemen Infantry did not see action, and there was a move, on financial grounds, to disband it in 1928. Because a need remained, the decision was taken to replace its policing role by airpower, supported by a small force of levies to defend the bases, including a camel corps. The book takes that story on, chronologically, through the Aden Protectorate Levies' growing strength and its relationship with the British Government and its policies. It includes its part in the Silver Jubilee celebration parade in 1935, pre-1939 military operations, its role in WWII, its involvement in the evacuation of the Jews following the Arab/Jewish riots in Crater in 1947, and on to the creation of the Federation and the withdrawal of the British Army in 1967.